This invention generally relates to environmental test chambers and apparatuses for use therein. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hard drive carrier, suitable for use in an environmental test chamber, having improved flexibility, mechanical stability, enhanced maintainability, and thermal uniformity. The present invention also relates to a barrier wall, and a method of construction thereof, for isolating a test area from a pseudo-ambient area in an environmental test chamber. In addition, the present invention relates to an environmental test chamber suitable for individual or small batch testing.
Computer hard drives are usually subjected to a xe2x80x9cburn inxe2x80x9d testing procedure conducted in an environmentally controlled test chamber. These chambers are designed to isolate the drive from vibrations while applying controlled temperature and humidity changes so that the drive manufacturer can obtain accurate test results.
Computer hard drives are also usually subjected to thermal testing or environmental conditioning testing during the design and prototyping phases of the manufacturing process. This testing, also known as xe2x80x9cfinal verificationxe2x80x9d testing, is also typically conducted in large environmental test chambers. The manufacturer selects the humidity, test temperature, and airflow inside the test chamber so that it simulates the thermal stress range of conditions that the device under test is realistically expected to xe2x80x9cseexe2x80x9d in its useful life. Alternatively, the humidity, test temperature, and airflow may be selected to be some multiple of the worst expected conditions. These tests can provide a valuable tool to verify product quality and reliability.
To optimize test time during burn-in and during final verification testing, the disk drive should be heated or cooled at a defined rate until the specific desired test temperature is reached while applying specified humidity. Accordingly, it is important to maintain a specific airflow over the drive during this phase to ensure that temperature gradients within the drive are typical of the end use environment. The airflow through the test chamber must also be sufficient to ensure a consistent humidity and temperature variance throughout the chamber while dissipating the heat generated during the tests by the operating device (typically about thirty watts per a disk drive), but not at a level at which excessive localized cooling would fail to simulate the final operational environment of the devices under test.
Conventional environmental test chambers consist of one or two chambers. One chamber provides a controlled environmental space for the items under test (the xe2x80x9ctesting chamberxe2x80x9d), and is designed to provide heat and cool large numbers of disk drives, typically about 120 drives at a time. There is generally no feedback control from the drives, the control of the overall chamber temperature being the preferred mode of operation. Accordingly, significant temperature variations can and do occur within the testing chamber, which result in different temperatures for drives at different locations. Another problem with conventional environmental test chambers is that all of the files in the chamber are heated/cooled together. Thus, these systems are inherently designed for batch processing.
The second xe2x80x9ctesterxe2x80x9d chamber, if included, typically provides a space for the tester hardware (in single chamber devices, the tester hardware is simply left out in the ambient air). The divider between the testing and tester chambers has customarily been a solid metal wall, with insulated electrical or other xe2x80x9cas-neededxe2x80x9d connections made via permanent holes in the wall. This solid metal wall severely limits the flexibility of applications and makes any alteration to accommodate different applications a time consuming and expensive process. The solid metal wall also allows significant heat transfer between the two chambers.
The drives are typically held in a fixture or a carrier while they undergo the burn-in or final verification testing procedures. One problem with conventional fixtures or carriers is that they are prone to transferring mechanical vibrations to the drive under test. Conventional holders or fixtures also fail to provide good air circulation around the drive, contributing to thermal gradients of as much as thirty degrees Celsius. Both of these conditions are undesirable because they add noise to the test results and generally reduce the utility of the environmental test chamber.
Another problem with current carrier designs is that they lack xe2x80x9cuser friendliness.xe2x80x9d These designs typically use a xe2x80x9cswing typexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cbarn doorxe2x80x9d latch that requires a large rotational motion to engage or disengage the point clamping site with the drive. These latching mechanisms also do not provide clear access to both ends of the drive when the latch is open. These problems can interfere with cable connection and arrangement.
Yet another problem with current carrier designs is that they are relatively expensive because they require a large amount of raw materials and a large number of parts. This problem is compounded because conventional carrier designs are custom designed for a single use. For example, carriers built to test 3.5xe2x80x3 disk drives could not be used with 2.5xe2x80x3 drives. These problems increase the manufacturing and assembly cost of the carrier. Lack of flexibility is also a problem in for users who need to test a variety of devices, such as small batch manufacturers and research facilities.
Ideally, an environmental testing chamber and carrier testing station should individually subject each device under test to its required environment, should allow for accurate and precise control of the environment, and should allow the devices under test to be loaded/unloaded individually for a continuous flow of products through the testing station. This ideal, however, must be weighed against its cost of implementation.
Clearly, there is a need for more flexible environmental test chamber and hard drive carrier capable of accommodating different applications. There is also a need for a simple and inexpensive hard drive carrier that reduces vibration and improves airflow around the drive. In addition, there is a need for a more user friendly hard drive carrier that simplifies clamping/unclamping and that provides clear access to the ends of the drive at all times.
The present invention provides an environmental test chamber and a carrier capable of accommodating different devices under test. One aspect of the present invention includes the concept of designing xe2x80x9cpalletsxe2x80x9d to carry components from both the tester and tested device. These pallets may include xe2x80x9cbricksxe2x80x9d that each form a portion of the barrier wall between the test environment and tester space. This brick and pallet system provides for easy construction of a thermal barrier and permits great flexibility and versatility in overall design.
Another aspect of the present invention is a system of fabricating a barrier wall between the testing and tester volumes of an environmental test chamber. One embodiment of this system comprises a plurality of pallets adapted to receive a device under test and a testing apparatus, a framework adapted to receive the plurality of pallets in a manner permitting a balance between a maximized number of pallets and obtaining suitable airflow and temperature uniformity in the test volume, and a plurality of insulation bricks associated with the plurality of pallets. The insulation bricks cooperate to form an insulating barrier between the device under test and the testing apparatus. The insulation bricks also cooperate to form a plenum capable of being purged by an appropriate heated purge gas flow.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is an environmental test chamber suitable for individual or small batch testing. One embodiment comprises a test volume having an inlet; an air delivery system adapted to deliver a flow of air to the inlet; and a drawer, received in the test volume and in pneumatic communication with the inlet. Another test chamber embodiment comprises an air delivery system adapted to deliver air to a test volume and a plurality of drawers received in the test volume and in pneumatic communication with the air delivery system.
Still another aspect of the present invention is a method of testing a plurality of electrical components. This method may comprise the acts of operably connecting a first electrical component to a first test drawer; inserting the first test drawer in a test unit; operably connecting a second electrical component to a second test drawer; and inserting the second test drawer in the test unit. The test unit in this embodiment may either subject the first electrical component and the second electrical component to similar environmental conditions or may simultaneously subject them to different environmental conditions.
The present invention also provides a simple and inexpensive hard drive carrier that reduces vibrations, improves airflow around the drive, simplifies clamping/unclamping, and provides clear access to the ends of the drive at all times. One embodiment comprises a frame defining a test bed, a clamp pad moveably connected to the frame, a cam operably connected to the clamp pad and adapted to actuate the clamp pad into operable engagement with a hard drive. Some embodiments may also comprise an electrical assembly attached to the frame, the electrical assembly being adapted to communicate signals to and from the hard drive. The carrier may also have a first side member and a second side member that allow the same carrier to receive and releasibly hold both 2.5 inch drives and 3.5 inch hard drives. The hard drive carrier of the present invention is particularly suitable for use with the environmental test chamber.
Another aspect of the invention is a carrier apparatus adapted for testing different sized devices under test. One embodiment comprises a first test bed adapted for operable connection with a first device under test; and a second test bed adapted for operable connection with a second device under test; wherein the first device under test is larger than the second device under test. Another embodiment comprises a frame; and a clamp operably attached to the frame and adapted to selectively hold a first device under test and a second device under test; wherein the first device under test is larger than the second device under test. In these embodiments, the first device under test may be a 3.5 inch hard drive and the second device under test may be a 2.5 inch hard drive.